Last witness testifies in NRC student murder case

The High Court in Malawi’s third largest city, Mzuzu, has finalized hearing a case in which six police officers are being accused of killing a college student in a police cell early this year.

The state has paraded eight witnesses since the court started hearing the case of the murder of Edson Msiska, a student at Natural Resources College on 7 August this year.

Judge Dingiswayo Madise has since adjourned the case to a date to be communicated later.

Among the last witnesses was a brother to the late Msiska, Ulemu, who differed with the state when he testified that his brother died in a criminal investigations room and not in a police cell.

“My brother died in a CID office after all the police officer had finished beating him,” He told the court.

Msiska who is serving a six-year custodial sentence at Mzuzu Prison on theft charges was never short of drama when he emotionally told the court ‘he had come not to answer questions but to testify.

Msiska said with anger “I wonder why you keep on asking me questions, I am not here to answer questions.”

Earlier, lawyer for the six accused police officers Christon Ghambi rejected one of the witnesses, Mr. Joseph Silumbu.

“My lord Mr. Silumbu has been attending court proceedings of this case which is not right according procedures of this court,” said Ghambi.

Judge Madise, however, allowed Mr. Silumbu to testify saying it was to him to determine how to handle the testimony.

After all the witnesses testified, Judge Madise asked the state and the defense to file their final submissions.

The younger Msiska was arrested on mistaken identity with his brother whom the police had been pursuing on theft charges.